


Views From Vega

by recklessly_confined



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-05 16:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14622486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recklessly_confined/pseuds/recklessly_confined
Summary: "Major Alenko. Happy to chat your face off about amp tools, alliance integrity, or tech improvements, but never willing to say a damn thing personal about himself. The guy was like an open book with the last two pages stuck together."Snippets of Shenko as seen through James Vega's eyes.





	1. Mission to Mars

The great Commander Shepard, hero of the citadel, defender of the galaxy, first human Spectre, best shot with an assault rifle he’d ever seen – James’ impromptu new XO was both everything and nothing that he’d expected from her.

He’d initially just been stationed to escort her during her 6 month “alliance probation”, as he called it (she’d saved their damn lives, breaking regs or not, and the whole spectacle was a bigger political shitshow than he had ever cared to be involved with) but now here he was, the lieutenant on her next great mission.

Just saving the world. No biggie.

She commanded respect, he had to give her that. For such a petite woman, she was tough as shit. He sure as hell wasn’t gonna fuck with her. Her file was more than impressive and, while he’d initially been hell-bent on getting back to Earth the moment they first touched off, he begrudgingly had to agree with her decision in retrospect. She’d shot him down quick enough and he was surprised with himself at how quick he’d been to shut his mouth.

James was known for a lot of things too but quiet wasn’t necessarily one of them. There was just something about her that made him feel compliant about shutting up and listening for a change.

And now here he was, boots on Martian soil and ready to kick some Cerberus ass. Cerberus ass that she, his XO, had previously worked for. The same damn group that had given her that 6 month probation in the first place. What the fuck was even going on here.

Luckily for him, he never had to ask. The Major joined them on this mission too, and James had barely reloaded his M-7 Lancer from the bullets he’d sunk into some assault trooper heads before the pretty boy had asked the question he was dying to bring up himself.

“I’m not with Cerberus anymore, Kaidan, if that’s what you’re asking.” Shepard tersely responded.

“It wasn’t, but you have to admit it’s a bit, ah…convenient.” The Major’s voice had a sharp sting to it that he couldn’t place.

James didn’t know much about Alenko, just the basics. He was an L2 biotic, one of the only few to survive and thrive. His role in the battle at the citadel, whatever it had been, had prompted him to move up the ranks quick. From what little James had seen of him, he’d seemed quiet, reserved, a very stick-to-the-regs kind of guy.

As far as first impressions go, he was a little boring for James’ usual taste, but the snarky comment he’d just brazenly stuck to the Commander sure livened him up a bit.

He had asked the Major, on Earth before the reapers came to blow everything all to hell, if he knew the Commander. And yah, he’d said he had. That he “used to”, whatever that meant. But the tense conversation between the two of them hinted at something a bit deeper than that. Hell, the Commander was even using the Major’s first name.

And really, didn’t Alenko technically _outrank_ her? It all seemed a little too personal to him.

So he watched awkwardly as they had argued back and forth, hesitating as he watched his sharp-tongued XO get absolutely grilled out. It was certainly enlightening for him; Alenko wasted no time in asking the tough questions that he himself had pondered over for the past six months, that the alliance council had tip-toed over in meeting after meeting.

But damn if he hadn’t been monitoring her activities this entire time, either.

“Commander Shepard has been under constant surveillance since coming back to Earth. No way they’ve communicated since.” James cut in tersely, not sure whether he should add his professional marine opinion to this topic or whether he was witnessing something that went way beyond protocol.

Nah, they ignored him. Okay, this was definitely something beyond typical marine banter. He got the distinct impression that they were acting more like an old married couple rather than a couple of well-respected marines.

So while he hadn’t exactly wanted to miss out on the drama of their ensuing argument, James could admit that it was a bit of a relief to be given command over the shuttle. He wasn’t sure if he should be defending his XO, or whether that would be stepping on the toes of an officer that outranked her for fucks sake, Spectre status or not.

* * *

Next he knew, Alenko had his face smashed up into the side of a shuttle. James watched as his tough as shit Commander simply shot the rogue AI dead (does an AI even die, he wondered) and picked up Alenko’s KO’d body to sling it over her shoulder as though it were nothing. The Major must have been double her weight in all that armor. And after the hell of a verbal beating she’d gotten, James was baffled by how protectively she carried his unconscious ass to the medbay.

Tough as shit, just like Lola had been.

Lola. That suited her more.

First the Earth gets attacked by reapers, then his politically powerful XO gets grilled by a superior, and the Major has his face bashed in beyond recognition. _Hell_ of a first day.


	2. Groundside Blues

He liked Vakarian. The Turian was the kind of guy you couldn’t help but like, the perfect wartime buddy to lighten a tense situation with some misguided honest humor. Vakarian had wasted no time in telling James stories of their XO, from their battle on the citadel to the day he had half his face blown off on Omega. 

The guy made everything seem like it was all happy rainbows, when in reality it made James’ own war stories pale a bit in comparison (not that he would ever admit that).

So he enjoyed their friendly verbal spars, and got the impression that Vakarian liked it too. Everyone seemed to know him, and he was always getting a greeting from one Normandy crew member to the next, but no one engaged with him in the affronted way that James did. 

Their respect for him, James thought, clouded the fact that Vakarian was a no-nonsense guy. Non-offendable, as logical as they come, and James enjoyed how well he took his invasive, admittedly savage, remarks about anything from the ugly side of his face to the entire Turian race.

Vakarian did, after all, dish it right back just as eagerly. It was a good comradery to share on their little mission impossible. 

Shepard and Vakarian were particularly close, he noticed. Not surprising, given their long battle history together. Having a squadmate for that long does that. You learn their every move, eventually work better as a unit than you do apart. 

It took James a few days to figure out his niche with them; at first his presence felt blundering, intrusive on the battlefield. Shepard and Vakarian barely had to speak with each other; hell, they had entire eye-language conversations that ranged from a simple “move the fuck over there” all the way to “overload the geth prime’s shields in the back row so I can toss a grenade and you can snipe off the husks in the meantime”. 

It had been difficult for him to keep up at first. But eventually he figured it out and, with a particularly powerful carnage shot (in the face, might he add) to a particularly enormous brute after Garrus had broken down its shields, he finally felt as though his place in their squadron felt fitting. 

They’d spent many weeks now, months, travelling from one galaxy sector to the next. James kept his nose out of the political air for the most part and did what he did best – stay strong, stay fit, keep the guns ready to fire, and be ready to hit his feet to the proverbial floor whenever a ground mission popped up.

Their recent run on Tuchanka had been a particularly powerful testament to their success as a unit. Shepard, Vakarian, and Vega – they’d successfully managed a run-in with not only more brutes than he hoped to ever encounter again, but also with a fucking reaper itself. His XO continued to impress him with every battle; her mind was battle-hardened and decisions were always strong. 

She could pack a powerful punch in battle, too – seriously, he had to admit she was one of the best shots he’d ever seen.

He enjoyed working under her, he realized. Their work was intense, _insane_ even, but she always made it feel possible rather than suicidal. She was his confident, tough-as-shit Lola. 

Which was why he was confused when, after an impromptu meeting at the CIC, Shepard assigned the newest ground team.

“Joker, set in coordinates to Gellix. Alenko, Vakarian, suit up. We’re going groundside. Meet you in the shuttle bay in an hour.” 

Wait, what? Alenko? The same Alenko who, only yesterday, had had a gun pointed in Lola’s face? Sure, the guy had been duped by Udina as much as the rest of them had, and maybe he _had_ taken the shot that ended that sly bastard’s life, but he’d only just rejoined the Normandy as of last night. 

But _he_ was going groundside? _Alenko_?

James peered around, trying to get a read on the rest of the crew. Surely this was news to them too, right? Lola had obviously made her decision but was discretely avoiding eye contact. Alenko, for all his fresh appearance on board the Normandy, looked as though this was old news. Vakarian seemed completely unfazed, borderline happy even.

What the hell.

The crew dispersed and James realized that maybe he wasn’t quite ready to see them off from his usual spot in the shuttle bay just yet. This was fresh, this still stung.

Gellix. It was a relatively benign mission compared to others they had tackled over these past weeks. James trudged up to the cockpit to get a view of their approach, trying his best to not look too brooding. They were to find ex-Cerberus scientists, to try and convince them to work on the crucible.

Was this just a chance to have another Spectre in the field? Maybe this was a political thing, and Shepard wanted a second Spectre to oversee it. 

“You moping about having the watch the view from up here?” Joker unabashedly called to him as James peered over his shoulder at the planet below. 

“Moping? Why would I mope? Compared to giant thresher maws and watching the councilor take a bullet to the chest, this seems like a fairly boring party.” 

The shuttle zipped down into the atmosphere, disappearing from visual. “Ah, well. Just warning you, get used to it. If Alenko’s back, you can bet your ass that he’ll be right next to the Commander’s ass on every ground mission to follow.” Joker said with a knowing chuckle. 

“…I don’t get it. Didn’t they just have a shoot-off yesterday?”

“Yup, but there’s a lot of history with those two. Kind of funny, really. Humanity’s two appointed Spectres, trying as hard to save the galaxy as they are to get in each other’s pants.” 

EDI looked over from the co-pilot’s chair, interrupting any chance James had to make a retort. “Get in each other’s pants…Jeff, why would they want to exchange pants? Their assigned military clothing sizes are not compatible.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, EDI we can explain that to you later. Hang on a second. They…Shepard and Alenko?” James sputtered a bit incredulously. He hadn’t seen that coming. Lola and the Major? 

“You really mean to tell me that you didn’t know that? _Everyone_ knows that! Come on Vega, get with it. If you’re gonna be aboard this ship it is your duty to be aware of any and all frat regs that get broken, it’s what keeps things interesting.” Joker huffed impatiently, then turned to him with a side eye. 

“But yeah. All that tension between them, tooootally sexual. Alenko’s had the hots for her from the moment we first met her. Dude is not the greatest at keeping his emotions in check. I don’t blame him, though. The Commander _is_ pretty badass. She did destroy a human reaper, after all.” 

“Huh. Well I’ll be damned.” James leaned back against the helm wall, contemplating. “Wait, so…how long have they known each other?” 

“Oh come on, it’s only been like two years. Doesn’t anyone know anything about, oh, I don’t know, that huge battle where the Normandy came in to save the day and prevented a reaper from completely destroying the Citadel all to hell? It wasn’t _just_ the Commander you know.” Joker sighed exasperatedly and gave him a disgruntled look.

James shrugged. “Dunno what to tell you, man. Lola’s the only one anyone ever wants to talk about.”

“Alright, well, other than the fact that _I_ drove the ship, thank you very much, who else was there to fight Saren groundside with her but good ol’ stick-up-the-ass Garrus and goody-boy Major Kaidan themselves. So yah, this new ground party isn’t _exactly_ a surprise to us Normandy old-timers.” 

EDI inquired again about the pants, and James only half-listened as Joker tried to explain the concept of idioms to her. Shepard and Alenko. That mission to Mars suddenly made a whole lot more sense.


	3. Whiskey on the Observation Deck

He’d been wrong about Alenko.

No, seriously. James could admit that now. It wasn’t that he hadn’t liked the guy, he just genuinely had the wrong impression about him. He was still a pretty boy, still a little reserved, still “by the books” in a nerdy kind of way. But he was easy-going, very likeable, seemed to know a little about everything. He kept to himself but, if someone got him talking, Alenko was actually more prone to prattle on than to keep quiet. He was a likeable, if a bit awkward, kind of guy.

And everyone seemed to love him. As soon as he’d rejoined the Normandy, it was all the staff could chatter about.

Vakarian beaming about having someone to help him with his calibrations.

That reporter chick, Allers, dreamily recounting his interview.

Engineer Adams commenting on the tech trick he had shown him that saved an extra thirty minutes of thermal tube adjustments each morning.

He could even hear Liara while sitting in the mess hall sometimes, puttering around her office as she chatted with Kaidan over vid-com about the recharge time improvements he could make to her biotic amp.

Hell, even Dr. Chakwas had brought him up during James’ routine physical, raving how his blood pressure was “almost as good as the Major’s”. It made James want to not like him, just out of principle. He didn’t do well with goody-two-shoes.

But then Alenko had gone and done the most surprising thing of all – he’d played poker. And he’d played it well.

It was a typical end of day routine for James to grab a snack and hit the observatory lounge for some drinks and solitaire by his lonesome. So it had surprised him to find Alenko already there, already indulging in the exact same practice.

“Lieutenant. Didn’t know you play.” Alenko said, eyebrows raised.

“Could’ve said the same thing, Major. Mind if I, uh, have a drink? Off the clock, of course.”

Alenko raised a half-filled glass, swirling it with a smirk. “I think I beat you to it. Care to join me?”

“Yes, sir.” James busied himself with a gin on the rocks. He couldn’t help but notice the Major was indulging in whiskey, judging by the half-cracked bottle on the counter. The guy was just full of surprises – he would have pegged him as a wine guy. James slid into the seat opposite, watching as Alenko gathered the cards and eyed him with a twinkle in his eye.

“Care to join me for a game, Lieutenant?”

“What’d you have in mind, sir?”

“I was thinking…poker. You play?”

James grinned. “Yes, sir.”

* * *

Three hours later, Alenko had only beaten him once. James had most definitely been wrong about the Major. Nobody beat him at poker. A few more drinks in, and he’d even gotten the guy to drop a few profanities. Maybe he wasn’t as goody-two-shoes as he thought.

* * *

Ever since Joker had let slip that Lola and the Major were supposedly getting it on, James had admittedly been trying to keep a closer eye on their interactions.

It wasn’t that he was trying to creep on them, per se. Hell only knows the Lola could probably use a good lay; the woman may be tough as shit but everyone could see she was wound particularly tight these days. It was just that they were both such private people – James got a bit giddy with glee at the thought of being able to tease them about it.

He knew something was up. They had this weird sort of air between them, always staring at each other for a second too long, finishing each other’s sentences, too many reassuring touches discussing upcoming missions. He’d seen Alenko smirk and nod at something the Lola was saying before she’d even finished speaking, and she would roll her eyes when he was mid-sentence about some nerdy tech thing or other.

He was also completely convinced that he’d caught Lola checking out Alenko’s ass as he’d walked by on the CIC. She’d even blushed a bit when James had caught her eye with a raised brow.

The Lola. _Blushing_. There was something there, he just didn’t know what.

He and Alenko had been spending more nights playing poker on the observation deck but damn, if the guy didn’t have a good poker face. James had tried it all – remarking on the hotness of various females on the ship, reminiscing about old girlfriends, but the Major just wouldn’t crack. In a bold move of desperation, James had commented about the Commander having the nicest legs of any XO he’d ever served under.

Alenko had finally stumbled a bit at that, their unspoken off-duty bro code momentarily conflicting with regs. “I know the Commander is a beautiful woman, Lieutenant, but your XO deserves to be treated with respect.” He’d said coolly with a hard stare.

“Yes, sir.” James felt his back straighten. Shit, he’d crossed a line. Authoritative Alenko was impressive. “I, uh, I meant no offence. I’ll keep my comments to myself in the future.”

“You do that.” Alenko laid out a hand. “Full house, Vega. Your turn to make the drinks.”


	4. Sleeper Pods Are That Way

They had shore leave coming up. Three days on the citadel, the Lola had promised them. James was excited; it had been two weeks since the Cerberus attack on the Citadel, and he was eager to see how his poker crew on the refugee deck were holding up.

It had also been two weeks since Udina had been shot dead by the Major. Two weeks since the Major had joined them on the Normandy. Two weeks since Lola had slotted Alenko as her groundside companion over him.

Two weeks and he was nowhere near closer to figuring the two of them out.

So James found it odd when, as he and the Major holed up in one of their late night card sessions, Alenko wasn’t drinking. Shore leave was a time for celebration.

“What gives, sir? It’s no fun drinking solo.”

“Sorry, Lieutenant. Need a clear head for leave tomorrow.” He put a few chips in, ending his play.

“Got a hot date or something?” James retorted, checking his own hand absent-mindedly. Alenko chuckled a bit nervously, taking a swig of water.

“No, nothing like that. Just…some personal business to attend to.”

Personal. Of course. Reserved Alenko, happy to chat your face off about amp tools, alliance integrity, or tech improvements, but never willing to say a damn thing personal about himself. The guy was like an open book with the last two pages stuck together.

“Shocker. Well, if you’re up for it, I got a poker crew I plan on meeting with tomorrow night down in the docks.” James tossed a few chips in distractedly. Any subtle change in Alenko’s behavior was a surefire way of telling he’d hit a sore spot, just like when he’d commented on Lola’s legs. He was onto something here. “You should join us for a game, I’m sure a visit from the second human Spectre would improve morale a bit.”

“Ah, well, I’m sure being beaten by the great James Vega will have to suffice in the meantime. Maybe the next day.” He flipped his cards with a smirk. “Straight. What say you, Lieutenant?”

James flipped. “Two pair. Shit.”

Alenko chuckled, standing up with a smile. “Good game, Vega. I hope you play a better hand tomorrow though, or your buddies are gonna need me to come down there to teach them how this game is really played.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get outta here, Major.”

* * *

 

The Normandy was docked, and the ship was mostly empty by the time James left his sleeper pod in the morning. A few maintenance staff were present but otherwise the mess was almost devoid of people.

Almost, except for one.

Lola.

“Damn, Lola. If you’re trying to get the Turian councilor to like you more, I definitely think you’re going about it the right way.” She was in her alliance fatigues, but she’d clearly put some effort into her appearance this morning.

The Commander was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that. On a typical kill-a-reaper day, though, she more often than not just had her hair tucked behind her ears without a stitch of makeup on (“no use for mascara when I’ll just get covered with husk juice, Vega,” she’d said to him once with a smirk).

But here she was, pouring herself some military standard breakfast with her hair nicely parted and more than a bit of goddamn mascara on. She looked really very pretty, and also more than a bit uncomfortable at him having noticed.

“Good morning to you too, James. Not intending to kill anyone today, so I thought I’d risk it.”

“What’s the occasion, Lola? Got a hot date I don’t know about?”

She huffed a bit. Ah, he’d touched a sore spot. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before answering. “Hot date, no. Just a personal matter I need to attend to is all.” She stirred her bowl for a moment before heading off towards the elevator. “Enjoy your shore leave, Lieutenant.”

Personal. Of course. It was always personal.

* * *

 

Alone in the mess, James was still finishing his meal when Liara stepped out from her office, heading to the fridge absentmindedly while she read a data pad with utmost concentration. He cleared his throat loudly and she jumped, startled.

“Oh, Lieutenant! My apologies, I didn’t realize anyone was still aboard. No rush for shore leave?”

“Just James, Doc. Relax. And nope, it’s like people here don’t know how to sleep in.” He took another bite, watching as she was half attempting to grab a meal, half trying to read her data pad. “What about you? I’d think of all people, the great Shadow Broker would have earned some relaxation time.”

“Oh, I will! I’m meeting with Shepard shortly out on the citadel.” James’ eyebrows piqued up at this. “I’m just trying to determine whether Kaidan’s amp report will calibrate successfully with my Asari physiology. He is… _brilliant_ with these kinds of technological modifications, but I may have to double check with Dr. Chakwas just to make sure.”

“You’re meeting with the Commander?” He said, trying not to sound too curious.

Liara nodded. “Yes, not for long though. I must be getting back to my duties. It is…difficult, to stay away sometimes.”

“You need a break too, Doc. I’m sure some downtime with the Commander would help take your mind off things. You two gonna dance it up with some drinks at Purgatory or what?” He smirked at the image of Liara at a nightclub. It just didn’t fit.

“I’m afraid I’ll leave that kind of relaxing for Joker and EDI to take care of.” She said with a laugh. “No, just a chat. She has plans with Kaidan tonight, so I won’t be taking much of her time.”

Well, shit. Of all people to crack, it was the oldest and most innocent of them all. He should have known sooner to come knocking to Liara’s door. He forgot, sometimes, that Liara was once with them on the SR-1 as well. Holed up in her office as often as she was, he sometimes even forgot she was on board.

“Plans with the Major, huh? Sounds important.” Play it cool, Vega. Play it cool.

“Oh! Well, nothing too important, I think.” Liara looked mildly uncomfortable at this, as though she just realized what she had said. If James wasn’t so terrible with alien emotions, he may have even thought that she was blushing. “I’m just sure they have a lot to talk about, that’s all. It was hard on all of us when Shepard…after Alchera. The pain Kaidan must have gone through in her absence, however…well. It’s good they have a chance to spend some time together.”

“Any, uh, particular reason why the Major would’ve taken that loss so hard?”

Liara gave him a curious look, as though there was something painfully obvious that he wasn’t clueing into. She also looked slightly as though she were trapped in a corner.

“I…don’t think the Commander is very open with her personal life. I find humans to be particularly discrete about these matters. Maybe I’ve spoken too much. I just, well…” She sighed, and a wistful smile took over her face. “We could all use happy moments in a time such as this. So I hope…”

She stepped away from the mess, voice trailing off thoughtfully. Just as James was about to huff in annoyance, she turned back to look at him from her office door.

“Enjoy your shore leave, Lieutenant.”

Damnit.

* * *

 

It was 3am, and the mess was empty. James knew he should’ve stopped to grab food, grab anything other than the military rations before returning back from the citadel. But it was too late now and he was almost too buzzed too care. Poker night had been a success, the people down in the refugee docks spurned on more than ever after the citadel attacks to let loose and have a few drinks.

Most of the staff hadn’t returned and he doubted they would tonight. Most would prefer a bed to a sleeper pod, but James preferred the peace and quiet that shore leave offered to him down in the mess.

So he was surprised when he heard the unmistakable sound of the elevator opening, raising his eyes to see none other than a disheveled Major walking towards him.

“Evening, sir. Bit past your bedtime, no?” James drawled, not even trying to mask a grin at the sight of the prim and proper Major wearing military shorts and a wrinkled t-shirt. Alenko looked equally surprised.

“James. I…didn’t think anyone would be down here.”

“You here for a terrible midnight snack, too?”

“No, I uh, I don’t sleep well without my meds. Keeps the migraines at bay.” Alenko slipped into the med bay and grabbed a bottle from Chakwas’ drawer, giving a curt nod to James on his way back to the elevator. It appeared he was in a hurry.

Naturally, the Batarian wine shots made him do it. “How’d your meeting with the Commander go?”

Alenko stopped, frozen for a moment before turning back to look at James over his shoulder. “It went, ah, very well. How’d you know I was meeting with the Commander?”

“Well, Lola doesn’t go around getting dressed up like that for just anyone.”

“Hmm.” Alenko stared at him for a moment, then broke out into an awkward chuckle. “Goodnight, Lieutenant. I’m off to get some sleep, and something tells me you need it, too.”

He pattered off to the elevator, but just as Alenko’s form was about to turn the corner out of sight, James couldn’t resist himself. This one was _definitely_ the frozen pyjaks.

“Hey Major, the sleeper pods are that way.” James heard an audible sigh as the elevator doors opened.

“…Goodnight, Vega.”

“Say hi to Lola for me!”


	5. Why Thank You, Steve

James punched the replay button over, again, for the fifth time. A reaper, a fucking _reaper_ , and the Commander had just jumped down there and nonchalantly blown its goddamn head off. 

He’d watched with bated breath from the Kodiak’s external cams as it had slowly towered up off Rannoch, watched Tali and the Major scramble into the shuttle after Shepard once Esteban had figured out they needed their asses gone _pronto_ – and then watched, open-mouthed, as Shepard had jumped back down after it, with only a rock-cliff and a fucking _laser-target_ between her and a giant reaper.

She was absolutely _loco_. 

“Damn. James, are you watching this?” Joker’s voice cut over the intercom, breaking him out of his reverie.

“I can’t stop. Did you see how close that thing got to her? She’s got balls of _steel_.” James muttered back. “I mean what was that, like 20 feet?”

“Well, EDI here says at its closest it was 26.67 feet from gun-tip to reaper beam…uh, hole, laser-thing. You know, whatever part of its body where the big goddamn laser beam comes out of to fry us all to death. I just say it was way too close for comfort.” 

“No shit.”

“Heads up, the Kodiak should be arriving in the next 30 seconds.”

“Esteban must be shitting his pants right now.”

“Forget Cortez, you clearly weren’t listening to the comm chatter. I think Kaidan almost had a heart attack,” Joker snorted over the com. “Activating shuttle bay doors, Joker out.”

James squinted as the bay doors whirred into motion, the setting Rannoch sun basking onto the floors with a warm glow. He turned off the vid cams as the Kodiak could be seen launching itself up towards his direction, instead leaning over and readying the landing pads. He could see Cortez and Tali sitting up front, watched as the shuttle roared into the bay and slowly, precisely, made a perfectly gentle landing.

At the sight of Shepard stepping down and out of the Kodiak, James slammed the bay doors button to closed and jogged up to greet her with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Lola, you are one hell of a badass! You just killed a goddamn reaper! You’ve gone full _loco_!”

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, the ghost of a smirk on her face. “That I have, James. Would you do me the honors?” She held out her targeting laser, her eyes alight with mirth. “I think there’s still some reaper juice on it.” 

He laughed, crushing her into a hug. “You are one tough cookie, Lola.”

“A little too tough, if you ask me. But you did get my home planet back, so…I guess I can’t complain.” Tali clambered out next, a happy tone evident in her voice.

“Congratulations, Sparks. Does this mean you’re staying on Rannoch?” 

“Nah. Shepard saved my home…I can’t go back until I’ve helped save yours, too.” Tali said warmly, reaching a hand out to grasp Shepard’s. “Keelah, Shepard. I’ll be…you know where to find me. I must get in contact with Admiral Shala’Raan.” 

She flounced off to the elevator, Shepard looking after her with a smile. Cortez jumped out from behind the cockpit, climbing down with a slow whistle. “I really thought we were gonna lose you there, Commander. That was…I don’t even know what that was. I’ll be talking about that story for years to come. It was difficult to watch like sitting ducks in the Kodiak.” 

“I think I’m still processing it, to be honest. I just…I couldn’t let that thing win, not _again_.” Shepard replied with a disbelieving shake of her head. “Allers is going to have a field day with this, isn’t she?” 

“I’d be shocked if she hasn’t blown the footage all over the extranet by now.” Steve laughed. Behind him, James spotted the Major, still sitting down in the Kodiak with a thoughtful look on his face. He was staring at Shepard, hands on his knees and stock-still. 

“You alright in there, Major?” James called in and, after a moments delay, Kaidan startled and looked over.

“Yah! Yah, I’m fine. Just…just thinking.” He stood up, still gazing at Shepard inquisitively, and made his way out of the shuttle, closing the hatch behind him. 

“Like I said, it was…well, it was difficult to watch from up there.” Steve said, sending James a knowing look. “I’m gonna start on those repairs. Vega, you mind?”

“Sure thing, Esteban.” James followed him back around to the front of the shuttle, the engines still warm and powering down. Using his omnitool to run diagnostics, he glanced back up at Shepard and Alenko. 

Their attempt to offer them some privacy wasn’t exactly all that private, but it was the best they could do. Cortez, for all of his usual chatter, was oddly quiet, evidently hoping to catch earshot of their conversation as well. After a few tense moments, Alenko cracked first, pulling the Commander into a tight hug with a heavy sigh. 

“…I’m sorry.” Shepard stuttered out with relief, grasping him tightly and burying her face into his neck. 

“I know. It’s okay.” The Major said back, voice low. He cupped her head against him, running his hands soothingly up her back and through her hair. “You just…you scared the hell out of me down there.”

James shifted on his feet, trying to make their presence obvious by spewing off a few damage reports to Cortez at sight of this blatant display of affection. They either didn’t notice or didn’t care; the Commander merely pulled back, still encased in Alenko’s arms as he gazed at her softly. 

She didn’t say anything; instead, she brought her hands up to tangle in his hair and pulled him in roughly, pressing her lips against his. James could see the surprise on Alenko’s face, his eyebrows shooting up for a brief moment before returning the favor. 

And that was how, next to a bewildered and chuckling Cortez, James came to see Shepard making out with Alenko against the side of the shuttle. Hell, the damn woman actually pushed him up against the Kodiak, his armour smacking into the door with a dull thud, just to continue with her assault on his mouth.

After a few moments, wherein James and Cortez abruptly turned their eyes away with a matching set of grins, they could hear the Commander chuckling in between kisses. Kaidan followed suit, finally breaking away with a rough intake of air.

“Not that I’m complaining, but, uh, what was that for exactly?” Alenko said a little breathlessly, hair mussed and cheeks a bit pink.

“Kaidan, I was looking into that reaper’s…face, and all I could think about was how if I died on that mountaintop, I would never be able to watch your ass again as you walk by me in the CIC every morning.” Shepard said with a grin, lips swollen and eyes alight. “And with an ass like that, Major…well, that was just completely unacceptable.” 

Cortez busted out a loud laugh, their not-so-subtle cover blown. “Sorry Major Alenko, but the Commander does make an excellent point.” 

“Why thank you, Steve.” Alenko replied with an appreciative chuckle, sending a cheeky grin their way. “So you’re saying that my _ass_ is what took down that reaper? How flattering.”

“That is exactly what I’m saying, Major.” 

“…I fuckin’ knew it. I _knew_ I saw you looking!” James crossed his arms and glowered at Shepard, who merely crossed her arms right back with a wink.

“You caught me, James.”


End file.
